The Sunday Word

Second Sunday of Lent
Gn 12:1-4a
2 Tm 1:8b-10
Mt 17:1-9

Been so busy this week that I almost completely forgot to post the scriptures for this weekend!
This coming weekend brings us to the Second Sunday of Lent!

There's no better way to prepare for Sunday worship than by becoming familiar, ahead of time, with the scriptures you'll hear proclaimed.  Prepare, Ponder and Pray the Scriptures. How about adopting this as a Lenten exercise?

Henri Nouwen captures this pericope from Matthew with the pastoral spirit for which we know him: “The basis of all ministry is the experience of God’s unlimited and unlimiting acceptance of us as beloved children, and acceptance so full, so total and all-embracing, that it sets us free from our compulsion to be seen, praised and admired, and free for Christ who leads us on the road of service.”

Being a hero in God’s eyes is about being a hero to others.

What we often miss in the transfiguration is that the Beloved is extending love to those whom he sends out to love the world. Perhaps he’s calling out to the hero in each of them — the desire for lowly fishermen and tax collectors to become something greater. Men on a love mission from God himself. Living lives of greatness for the purpose of loving others, not for the sake of being loved by the masses.

What has changed today? Don’t regular people want to know they are loved by their Father? Don’t they want to know how pleased he is with them? Don’t they need to be freed by love in order to love?

God has always engaged people this way — from Abraham on, the people of God are blessed to be a blessing.